It has been four days since the declaration of results of Kerala assembly elections and the infighting within Kerala Congress has delayed the announcement of the Chief Ministerial face. The Congress had appointed Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken as observers, but a leaked photo suggests that the high-commmand has already zeroed in on KC Venugopal, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, instead of VD Satheesan, who is considered the architect of the Congress party’s victory in Kerala.

On Thursday, after meeting Kerala Congress MLAs, Mukul Wasnik was talking to reporters with an internal document in his hand. Since the face of the document was towards the outside of his hand, the image got captured by media folks and it showed MLAs preferring for KC Venugopal, who did not even contest the elections and is a Member of Parliament.

Critics believe that just like Karnataka or Telangana, Congress high-command wants a close-aide as the Chief Minister in Kerala and thus may go for Venugopal, instead of hardworking grassroot leader VD Satheesan. 

While reacting to the viral photo purportedly showing the voting done by Congress MLAs for the CM’s face in Kerala, Mukul Wasnik said that the photo was incorrect and not based on facts. 

Ajay Maken, another AICC observer for Kerala, said, “We had a consultation with all the Congress MLAs of Kerala…A one-line resolution has been passed…The decision on the CM face (of Kerala) will be taken soon.”

Since the UDF coalition got the majority in the polls and Congress has got just 63 seats, Congress leader K. Muraleedharan said that the grand old party must also talk with all the coalition partners before reaching a consensus. “We do not have an absolute majority. We have only 63 seats for Congress. The Muslim League has 22 seats, and Kerala Congress has 7 seats. Other coalition partners are also there. It is only for this reason that we have 102 seats. So, we must consult them as well,” he said.

The suspense this time revolves around three CM post contenders – V.D. Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and K.C. Venugopal, all three now firmly in the reckoning after the Congress-led UDF scripted a historic victory in the May 4 Assembly polls.

Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge had, in March, reportedly directed sitting Lok Sabha members against entering state electoral battles. Yet among the three names now before him is K.C. Venugopal, sitting MP from Alappuzha and one of the party high command’s most influential strategists.